1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of computerized systems for automobiles and other vehicles and more particularly to a vehicle component architecture in which vehicle components are network devices coupled to an in-vehicle network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automobiles play an important role in the lives of millions of people. They provide a mode of transportation which allows people to cover great distances quickly and easily and are a convenience which many people could not do without. For example, many people commute to and from work every day in their automobiles and some may spend an hour or more in traffic each way.
Despite the freedom with which automobiles allow people to move about, the substantial amount of time which people spend in their automobiles may also be an inconvenience. For instance, a person who commutes an hour each way to and from work typically cannot make productive use of that time. That is, time which is spent in the automobile might have instead been spent working, playing or in some other useful manner. Although some people may be able to make use of cellular phones to conduct business from their automobiles, they make up a relatively small percentage of the driving population. Time spent in an automobile is more typically an interruption of the driver""s normal activities. The inconvenience and anxiety resulting from this interruption may be magnified by problems such as traffic jams, vehicle malfunctions and driver confusion.
Automobile designers may attempt to lessen the inconvenience of time spent in automobile by making it as comfortable as possible and by providing certain services to the occupants of the vehicle. For example, the ergonomics of the automobile are studied to ensure that it provides both a physically comfortable environment and a user-friendly interface to the automobile""s functions. The designers may also incorporate into the vehicle the delivery of services that may assist the driver, thereby reducing the driver""s workload and anxiety level. Such services may include providing computerized maps, navigation aids and emergency assistance signaling.
One of the difficulties faced by designers, however, is that the designs for automobiles must be finalized long before the vehicles themselves actually go into production. The designers must therefore anticipate needs which drivers will have several years in the future. Since a typical design cycle for an automobile is four years long, the designers must create an automobile design which is four years ahead of its time. Then, after the automobile is in production, even services which designers may have accurately anticipated may quickly become outdated or obsolete. Because a person may own an automobile for ten years or more, it is not at all unusual for the design of an automobile to be outdated for a substantial portion of its useful life.
While it may be desirable to upgrade the components of automobiles, they are often difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade. The components typically have unique physical and functional characteristics, including their size, shape and interface to the automobile, which prevent them from being replaced with similar, but not identical parts. Further, the replacement of the components can be very labor-intensive, and it is not unusual for the cost of the labor to install the components to be on the same order as the cost of the components themselves. There is therefore no practical way in the prior art for an automobile which is already in production to be upgraded to maintain state-of-the-art components and/or functionality.
One or more of the problems described above may be solved by the various embodiments of the invention. Broadly speaking, the invention comprises a system for integrating components into a vehicle wherein the components comprise devices coupled to an in-car network and wherein the network provides for easy re-configuration and upgrading of the vehicle, as well as improved communication of information between the vehicle""s systems and integration of the vehicle network into external networks.
One embodiment of the invention comprises a vehicle which has a network installed therein. The network includes one or more devices which are addressable using IP addresses or object terminology. The devices may include various servers and clients, such as microphones, cameras, GPS receivers, interfaces to on-board diagnostic systems, communication devices, displays, CD players, radios, speakers, security devices and LANs (local are networks,) to name only a few. Devices may easily be connected or disconnected to upgrade or reconfigure the vehicle""s systems, and software and services can easily be provided to the various devices through the network. The network can enable the interaction of various network devices to increase the capabilities or utility of devices which may otherwise be limited. The system therefore provides an easy and inexpensive means to improve or otherwise modify the functionality of the vehicle.
In one embodiment, the in-vehicle network comprises an ethernet, although other embodiments can be implemented in any other type of network. Communication devices such as wireless modems and wireless ethernet allow communications with devices and networks external to the in-vehicle network so that data, software, services and other information can be downloaded from or uploaded to these external sources. The in-vehicle network can also be coupled to an external network through these communication devices so that it can function as a device (a sub-network) on the external network.
In one embodiment, some traditional vehicle components maybe replaced by network devices, thereby providing extended functionality to the driver. For example, the vehicle""s dashboard maybe replaced by a monitor which displays images of dashboard instruments, vehicle data and other information to the driver. Graphics generated by a server on the network may be designed to emulate digital or analog gauges which are normally found on a dashboard. The graphics may be varied to suit the preferences of different drivers, or the driver may be able to select different information to be displayed (for example, tabbing from vehicle data to location information, to a radio display, and so on.)
Additional embodiments are described below.